angie heitz standing outside her new building
Angie Heitz is determined. In mid-February, Heitz and I bumped into each other at Palmer's (pre-COVID, sitting on actual bar stools, good times) and she told me she was planning to open a wine bar. The world has changed, plenty has changed, but that hasn't changed.
Heitz is a wine industry veteran with music world connections whose flaming red bob and easy going cool-girl vibe makes you want to be near her. Immediately, I thought: yes, I want to drink wine with her. Soonish, we'll all get to when Coquette & Colibri open.
It all started at Grumpy's NE, as many things do, where in 2019, a random conversation with a fellow bar fly resulted in Heitz revealing that her dream was to open a cool, lady-driven wine bar. Duane Arens, the other drinker, mentioned that he happened to be a guy who bought buildings and would keep an eye out for a spot that would work (he also owns the Solar Arts building and the spot that Yia Vang's Vinai will occupy). And you know how spilling out dreams to strangers on barstools usually works out ... but this one did. Arens called Heitz about a month later and said, "I think I found you a spot."
The building sits on the corner of 2nd and Lowry Ave NE, right across from Little Jax (which still may turn into a Red Cow some day) and next to the relocated Market BBQ. The Fulton brewery is down the block, Stanley's NE is just east, it's a good neighborhood and this building has good bones. It used to be a gun shop and now it will be a low-key feminist wine bar. Cheers to change!
There are two parts to her grand plan. First, is Colibri Cafe, a coffee shop that will open this winter. Carved out of the back side of the building, the space will house the kitchen for both concepts and serve coffee, soups, sandwiches and baked goods. Showcasing local art with a focus on female artists is also important to Heitz. She's ready for it to be a quick stop for the neighborhood, and maybe there will be takeout meals with wine with a curated Spotify list to match. It would also be nice to get some cash flowing into the business while they work on the other part.
room under construction
The bones of a wine bar.
And that will be, some time in 2021, the launch of Coquette Wine bar. Heitz is determined to keep it unpretentious and affordable. "It'll be a French-ish neighborhood wine bar focusing on small family wineries, small plates, a killer soundtrack and the art of L’apéro. The menu will be rounded out with a few local beer selections, cider and a spritz and NA cocktail program." Heitz told me. "Since I am opening a low-key feminist wine bar the low-ABV and no-ABV drinks might be named after goddesses, writers, or Supreme Court justices." Heitz is planning a late night happy hour for industry co-horts and lots of wine classes for those who want to learn from the pros, "Teaching people about wine is seriously one of my favorite things!"
Her music world connections will be fully used to make this a cohesive experience. "The soundtrack will be curated by my husband, Tim Ritter, a local musician and DJ and the wine menu will be based on song titles like La Vie en Rose, California Dreamin’, Get Your Freak On, Money Don’t Matter 2 Nite and Run the World (Girls) just for a few examples."
She does seem determined. That is, in no small part, due to the changes Heitz has already faced in her personal life. About the same time that Arens called her about the building, Heitz found out that she carried the BRCA1 mutation, or the breast cancer gene. She'd participated in a genetic study on a whim, "for funsies", and it changed the course of her life. "I had a BSO (tubes and ovary removal- hello menopause!) in April of 2019 and a prophylactic double mastectomy in October of 2019 to reduce my risk of ovarian cancer (by about 60%) and breast cancer (by 70%), to prepare for opening my dream spot." Random genetic testing saved her life, "My paternal grandmother died of ovarian cancer at 52, her mother at 63, and because I found out, my sister found out about her breast cancer."
So. Change is clearly the mascot of 2020, and often it makes us want to hide under covers and surrender. Today, and forthwith, I'm going to set my personal dial to Heitz-level determination. And patiently wait for my RBG drink.
